The phenomenal success of the sixth Harry Potter book leaves opportunities galore for Publicity Hounds. Here are ways to piggyback off the wave of publicity that will continue in the months ahead for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”
—Therapists and grief counselors can be the local angle to this national story by commenting on how children are reacting to the death of one of Harry’s friends at the end of the book. Check out this USA Today story
—What can authors and publishers learn from J.K. Rowling and Scholastic Press? If you’re an author or publisher, offer your views for your trade publications or even your local media.
—Follow the controversy. The Catholic Church’s stand against the Harry Potter books leaves room for commentary on the editorial pages. Do you agree or disagree? Priests, Catholic parents and teachers, and others from any denomination who feel strongly about this issue can pitch a story to religion reporters.
—What lessons are to be learned from Rowling’s most recent book? National Public Radio had a fascinating program last night featuring scholars who are taking a closer look at the Harry Potter series and studying what it tells us about good and evil and the meaning of life. They’re also looking at where Rowling fits in with past great authors who wrote for children, including CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien.
—Bookstore owners who are seeing the books fly out of their stores are everywhere—on TV, in the newspapers and on radio. Contact your local media and let them know what’s happening at your store.
—The marketing of this book was brilliant—building the buzz about the death of a character, releasing it in the middle of summer when children have lots of time to read, and making customers go to bookstores at midnight to buy it. What lessons can marketers in general learn from the hype that surrounded this book? Your perspective might make a good business story.